STAKE YOUR CLAIM
Chapter 15: Part II ‘We’re Going to Need A Lot of Guns!’
A/N: A quick note to set things up here. In this chapter, the folks of Cheyenne will pull together to save Buffy. Oh, and sorry for the ‘long’ chapter titles, I always try and pick a theme from each chapter to entitle it. Thanks, Luv, S
“Dad,” Spike whispered fearfully, “we’re going to need a lot of cash, a lot of men and a lot of guns.”
Rupert Giles reached out and placed his hand on his oldest son’s shoulder, “we’ll do everything we can son, to bring your Buffy back. I swear.”
Angel strode over to his father and older brother, grabbing the ransom note from Spike’s hands. “I didn’t know that Holden Webster could put two words together, much less write full sentences,” Angel smirked, always trying to lighten the dour moment.
“He seems to be able to put numbers together,” Rupert Gile’s grumbled as he glanced at Spike’s sad expression. “Angel,” the Father began with authority, “we need to go to the Snyder’s, roust the man from his Saturday nap and get to the bank. There’s more then enough money in our account to meet Webster’s ransom demands and we’ll pony it up. Track him and his gang down and pay the price for Buffy. My future daughter-in-law is more then worth it,”
Rupert shot Spike a fatherly, affectionate look. Spike looked in awe at his strong, loving father, the one that he had felt alienated from for so long. After all, he, Spike had caused his own Mother’s death, even while she had aspired to give him life.
“Dad,” Spike whispered in a raspy voice, “I…”
Rupert shook his lionly head, “no son,” he clasped the younger man’s shoulder, “no need for words now. Your Buffy is in trouble and only we can help her. Believe me when I say, son,” Rupert patted Spike’s shoulder, “from the moment I laid eyes on Buffy I knew she was the one for you. Just like Jennifer was the one for me, after your mother died that is. When we Gile’s men fall in love, it’s hard, fast and forever, can’t help it, just the way it is.”
Spike met his father’s gaze and tried not to look like a total ponce, he needed to be strong, Buffy needed him.
“We need the cash, Dad,” Spike repeated, “but we need men, the best riders and trackers and guns. Lots of them. Because, Dad, when we get Buffy home, safe with us, I intend on ripping Holden Webster limb from limb for ever taking her or scaring her like this.”
Dawn shrieked loudly, her wailing grated on Spike’s and Rupert’s nerves.
“I’ll take Angel with me to the Snyder’s then to the bank,” Rupert Giles repeated. “Xander,” he looked over at the new Father who was pale with terror, “get back to the ranch, fast as possible. Pull together a group of men, the best you can find. Gunn is first choice, bring him and Doyle, young Ford too. Jesse and his brother Joseph should be included. Forrest Redfeather should be at his cabin, just past the Pine Bluff; afer we’re done at the bank, Angel, I want you to fetch Forrest. He’s the best tracker in the Territory.
Thomas Jenkins, young Tommy’s father piped up, “I’m coming, Rupert, I’ll bring my oldest boy, Graham.”
“Thank you Thomas,” Rupert stated evenly, “I’d appreciate it if you stopped by the Mayors and picked up Ethan. Have him get young Daniel Osbourne to join up, he’ll come for sure. Connor,” Rupert continued, taking complete control, “you take Dawn to her and Buffy’s house, pick up some things the ladies might need for a few days. She’s coming out to the ranch, Buffy will want her there when we get her back. I’m counting on you boy,” the Father scowled at his youngest child, “no nonsense now, it’s too serious. You two children come back here as soon as you’ve collected some clothes and bring Cloud too. We’ll all meet up back here to figure out where to go from now on. Spike,” Rupert stared at his oldest who was paler then usual, “I’m going to get Snyder to open the bank. Keep things stable here, get it together boy, you need to to keep your wits about you.”
Spike nodded, not saying a word to anyone, just remembering the horrific words that Webster had printed on the lined paper.
‘He’s got Buffy,’ is all Spike could think, ‘he’s got my precious Princess.’
Buffy was tied and trussed like a Thanksgiving Turkey, but that was not what was angering her. No, she was more angry that she had stumbled off down to the school house, unarmed, unprepared and totally helpless against Holden Webster and his stupid, mealy mouthed brother, Tucker.
They rode along in silence, so far, this trio of enemies and Buffy was sure they were nearing their destination.
“Tell me, school teacher,” Holden Webster chuckled as he groped at Buffy who sat in front of him on his horse, “do you think your fucking boyfriend, Spike Giles, thinks you’re worth a hundred thousand dollars?”
Buffy put on a brave smile, tossed her head back and hissed, “Spike Giles thinks I’m worth a hell of a lot more then that you pompous asshole!”
Holden tensed, Buffy could feel it against her backside, “listen bitch,” he growled at her as he tightened the hold he had on her waist, “I wouldn’t be so fuckin’ high and mighty if I was you. Your man, Spike, might be the end of all that in Cheyenne, but out here, on the prairie, he’s shit, understand?”
Buffy spat back, defiantly, “Spike Giles is not dirt; he’s better then ten men.”
They had truly reached their destination, a rough, wood hewn cabin on the farthest bluff from the city of Cheyenne.
“Oh,” Buffy snorted, “this is quite posh!”
Holden didn’t make any fancy moves or use any false proprieties, he literally pushed Buffy off of his horse into the front of the primitive cabin he’d built years before. Holden slid off of his horse, swaggered over to Buffy and pulled her tied up body close to his, “let’s keep this civil,” he hissed as he pushed her along into the wooden cabin.
When they got inside, Buffy noticed at least a dozen or more men lulling about in the front area of the cabin.
“So,” a dark haired kind of pretty girl sidled up to her and laughed heartily, “this is the little prissy school teacher, huh?”
If the young woman had not been so coarse, so dirty and rough, Buffy thought she might be rather attractive.
“Faith,” Tucker Webster hissed, pulling the odd girl away from Buffy, “keep away from her. Let’s go in the other room, baby,” this familiar Tucker rasped as he tried to pull the smelly girl with him into another room of the cabin.
“Skinny little bitch,” this Faith hissed towards Buffy, “no wonder your Riley had to come to me to be satisfied.”
Faith looked quite smug and pleased with herself after she had thrown that little insult at Buffy. Buffy on the other hand leveled her stare right back into the girls clouded brown eyes and stated evenly, “Do I look like a I give a damn about Riley and you, girl.”
This Faith reared back, stung by Buffy’s smart retort and the fact that Buffy had dared refer to her as some ‘girl’ in front of all these men.
Holden burst out laughing while his younger brother, Tucker just shook his head and whined to Faith, “Come on baby, I need some of your attention.” Tucker led Faith out of the front room into one of the little sleeping areas and closed the door behind them.
“I knew you were Gile’s woman,” Holden chuckled deeply, tweaking Buffy’s cool cheek with his meaty finger, “little hell cat like you doesn’t settle for someone weak like Deputy Finn.”
Buffy narrowed her green eyes and shot Webster a look to kill, “you won’t be laughing when Spike Giles blows your worthless head off, you son-of-a-bitch!”
Webster had no smart response for that one.
Spike found it hard to move from his spot in the school house, on the chair that his Buffy occupied during the lessons she taught daily there. His Father and Angel had been gone less then twenty minutes before Riley Finn burst into the school house and stumbled up to Spike and the other occupants of the little structure.
“Let’s see the note,” Riley ordered pompously, “I am the real law here. Time to give it over to me and let justice take over.”
Spike said nothing, just glared at his rival with hatred.
“You know,” Riley began smugly, “if Buffy had not aligned herself with trash like you Giles, made it obvious that she was friends and such with you. She would be here in town, safe and with me for that matter, happy and…”
Spike had heard quite enough, he leapt from the chair he was in, grabbed Riley by his collar and pushed him up against the school house wall.
“Shut your fucking gob, Finn,” Spike ordered harshly. “I swear, if you don’t shut your stupid face and keep it shut, I’ll beat you to a pulp, boy. Worse then that, I’ll tear your bloody head off and shove it up your arse. Do not ever, ever speak of Buffy and me as trash. When this is over,” and Spike glared angrily at Riley Finn, his blue eyes burning with fire, “I plan to marry Buffy. Start a tribe of Giles and a dynasty that is, of our own. Don’t much care if I swing for threatening the arm of the law and such, Buffy is the only thing I care about right now.”
Dawn finally had stopped sobbing in Connor’s arms and trotted over to the two angry men.
“This isn’t going to help get my sister back!” she cried trying to pull Spike away from Riley.
“Well, all right, Bit,” Spike hissed, releasing Finn reluctantly, “but I swear to God, Finn, you open your bloody mouth one more time and say anything about Buffy and me? I’ll put my gun in it and blow your head off, understand!”
Riley gave a whoosh of relief as Spike released him from his grip and turned to reread the note that Holden had left him.
“You know where we are,” Spike whispered, repeating the words that Holden had written, “you and your trackers will find us immediately.”
Spike racked his useless brain for all of about ten seconds before he realized what Holden was saying. “Buffy,” Spike whispered, looking over at the men that stood beside him, “she’s at the Pine bluff, the mid-sized one to the south of the range, on the farthest side over. Holden knew it, he knew I’d remember his family’s old cabin out there, “that’s what he wanted,”
Spike hissed as he strode out of the school house and into the cool crisp night air. Half way out of the school yard, Spike ran into Rupert, his father and Angel.
“Money’s not an issue, son,” Rupert assured Spike. “It’s all arranged, but…” Spike gave his father a look of macho bravado and masculine pride, “Buffy’s mine, I’m going to get her back!” Spike hissed as he strode off into the night, his father, brothers and a lot of the townsmen at his heels.
Buffy half leaned against the cabin wall, somehow managing to doze off and on again as she debated on whether she should even try and escape herself.
‘Well, let’s see,’ she mused silently, ‘I’m tied up tighter then a rodeo calf and there’s oh, about twelve men here, along with a slightly insane female. They all hate me or Spike or both of us. But I’m more then certain I can manage to untie myself and lull all of them into a false sense of control. Then I’ll just meander out of here, in the freezing cold and stumble on back down to Cheyeynne. Yeah, I can do that, right.’
Buffy shook her head and chuckled lightly, her inner fear was beginning to take her over and she had to control it. Push it back down deep inside of herself.
‘I’ll think about something good,’ she reasoned with herself, ‘not think about my predicament at hand. I know,’ she smiled softly, ‘I’ll think about Spike and me, that day at the river when we almost…..’
Her pleasant reverie was interrupted when a commotion at the front of the cabin caught her attention. Seconds later, a somewhat hard looking, but pretty woman of about thirty entered the cabin, leading a dark haired boy of about ten. Holden leapt up to meet the woman, touseling the boys hair as he did.
“We did it sis,” Webster crowed to the woman as he nodded at Buffy. “Meet Miss Buffy Anne Summers, the little school teacher snit, Gile’s honey. School teacher, this is my sister, Darla and my nephew, Dalton.”
Buffy didn’t say a word to acknowledge the rather clumsy introduction to this tough looking older woman. However, Buffy did notice that when she looked into this Darla’s eyes, she saw a small dose of sympathy there.
A/N: Oh, I just had to drum this chapter out late last night! Kind of set up the scenarios of all the characters involved. Please read and review. And thank you to all my readers. Luv, Spuf
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